Children across Europe have returned to school after a summer of extreme heat. As the climate warms, one question is becoming harder to ignore: how can students learn when classrooms become dangerously hot?

Extreme weather is likely to disrupt schooling more often in the years ahead. But climate change can influence a child’s education even before they set foot in a classroom.

In research conducted with my colleagues, we examined evidence on exposure to extreme weather during pregnancy and early childhood, including floods, droughts and unusually high temperatures. Such exposure has been linked to lower birthweight, poorer childhood development, starting school later, lower enrolment and completing fewer years of education. The effects can be particularly severe in low- and middle-income countries, where families may have fewer resources to cope with a sudden loss of food, income or access to healthcare.

The reasons can be painfully simple. When crops fail or floods destroy livelihoods, families may have less money for food and medical care. Pregnant women may eat less, work longer hours or struggle to reach health services. Young children may miss out on adequate nutrition or care while their bodies and brains are developing rapidly.

Research is beginning to show how these early shocks can reverberate years later.

In Ecuador, researchers studied children whose mothers experienced severe flooding caused by El Niño during pregnancy. El Niño is a periodic warming of the tropical Pacific that disrupts weather around the world and can bring unusually heavy rain to Ecuador. Each additional month of flood exposure was associated with lower household income and food consumption in the following year. Children exposed before birth were also more likely to have a low birthweight and anaemia. They were shorter for their age and performed less well on some tests of thinking and language development.

In rural Burkina Faso, children exposed before birth to unusually low rainfall scored lower on tests of thinking and learning ability. They were also more likely to start school late, less likely to be enrolled and more likely to work.

Heat appears to pose risks too. A study using data from 29 tropical countries linked climate conditions during pregnancy and early childhood with later educational attainment. In south-east Asia, children who experienced temperatures far above the local average during these early years were predicted to complete about 1.5 fewer years of schooling than those exposed to average temperatures.

Unequal risks

These studies formed part of a wider review conducted by my colleagues and I. We examined 254 studies, with 90 statistical studies forming the core analysis. The review found a consistent pattern: exposure during pregnancy and early childhood can affect health, learning and the amount of education children eventually receive.

This does not mean that every flood, drought or heatwave will have the same effects. The consequences depend on the timing and severity of the exposure and on a family’s circumstances.

Climate change can therefore deepen existing inequalities. A failed harvest or flooded home may be devastating for any family. But families with savings, insurance or reliable public services have more ways to recover. For someone already struggling to afford food or healthcare, the same event can mean smaller meals, missed appointments or children leaving school to work.

The children at greatest risk often live in countries that have contributed relatively little to the greenhouse gas emissions driving global warming.

Exposure to a climate shock early in life does not mean a child is destined to struggle. Some studies find that children can recover, particularly when families receive effective support.

One possible form of support is social protection: government programmes designed to help people avoid or cope with poverty. These include cash transfers, which provide families with money, sometimes on conditions such as children attending school or receiving healthcare.

In our review of interventions, four of the six studies that examined cash transfers during droughts, floods or cyclones found positive effects on education. The benefits varied according to factors including the child’s age, the size of the payment and the severity of the shock.

Research from rural Mexico offers an example. Children exposed to adverse rainfall around the year they were born went on to complete fewer school grades and were less likely to continue into education after secondary school. But children whose families were assigned to receive payments through the Progresa cash-transfer programme experienced smaller educational losses.

Cash transfers cannot stop a drought, rebuild a flooded school or replace the wider action needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate. But they can help families maintain food, healthcare and schooling when their income suddenly falls.

That is particularly important as international development budgets come under pressure. In 2025, the UK government announced that official development assistance would fall from around 0.5% of national income to 0.3% by 2027.

Protecting support for pregnant women and young children deserves particular attention. Climate shocks experienced in the earliest stages of life can reach far beyond childhood, influencing how children learn, how long they remain in education and the opportunities available to them long after the floodwaters have receded.

A child was bitten on the arm and leg by a 9-12ft alligator at Florida’s Weeki Wachee Preserve, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office revealed, with the youngster rushed to hospital

A youngster has been taken to hospital after suffering a vicious alligator attack while swimming in Florida on Labor Day.

The child, whose age and sex have not been disclosed, sustained bites to the arm and leg from the gator, which is believed to measure between nine and 12 feet in length, according to Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. The incident occurred in a preserve where swimming is prohibited.

The youngster was reportedly stuck on a sandbar in the Weeki Wachee Preserve alongside several other children on Monday afternoon, unable to reach the mainland. Hernando County Fire Rescue swiftly intervened, deploying an airboat to bring the children back to shore before administering essential medical treatment.

One child was transported to Bayonet Point Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, the county sheriff’s office confirmed.

A licensed Florida wildlife trapper attended the scene and set traps in an attempt to capture the animal responsible for the attack, according to NYP, reports the Daily Star.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has since opened an investigation into the swimming violation. Officials are now urging the public to adhere to regulations at the state’s waterways and to take extreme care.

The sheriff’s office stated: “Do not swim in areas where swimming is prohibited.”

The Weeki Wachee Preserve covers more than 11,200 acres in west-central Florida, situated approximately 50 miles north of Tampa. The Southwest Florida Water Management District states on its website regarding the preserve: “no swimming allowed in any of the lakes.”

Three women who were jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial have spoken out for the first time since the case was ruled a mistrial. 

Speaking with NBC10 Boston, the three women detailed the arguments they had with the one male juror who would not acquit. 

One of the women, known only as juror two, told the outlet: ‘He, I think got up to the cart [with the exhibits] once and then went back to his seat.

‘He would not interact with us and try to understand. We read to him the definition of reasonable doubt. 

‘He said one day “why don’t we have the judge read it again?”, and we were like no we have it in front of us.’

One woman, the jury’s foreperson, told the outlet: ‘He had reasonable doubt. He admitted he had reasonable doubt. 

‘I started filling out the forms, I was so excited. There were three forms I had to fill out, and then he said “but I’m still not going to say she’s not guilty.”‘ 

According to the trio, they argued so much with the man that the alternate jurors could hear them through a wall. 

The three women, seen here, detailed the arguments they had with the one male juror who would not acquit

The outlet’s commentator Sue O’Connell conducted the sit-down with the three women, a post to her X said that an hour-long special would follow later tonight. 

It comes after Clancy’s lawyer Kevin Reddington spoke on Good Morning America earlier today saying that to his knowledge 11 jurors who agreed believed that Clancy deserved a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict, barring the one holdout juror. 

He also pleaded with President Donald Trump to consider pardoning Clancy, describing her as a good person. 

Reddington said: ‘I’d like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case.

‘Mr President, I hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon.’

Reddington also described her as being ‘intelligent’ and ‘hardworking,’ while describing the strong bond he has with Clancy. 

‘I do feel a very strong bond with Lindsay because of the type of person she is. She’s such a wonderful, wonderful person.’

George Stephanopoulos questioned the lawyer about his remarks at the end of the trial in which Reddington said he ‘crushed’ the prosecution, asking if he regretted them.

The foreperson told the outlet that she was ‘excited’ to hand in the verdict before the hold out juror threw a spanner in the works

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The full conversation is set to be released later this evening, the outlet said

He added: ‘I don’t regret saying it at all. I think that the defense was very strong and I think it went in very well.

‘I think I perhaps could have been a little more circumspect dealing with [prosecutor] Tim Cruz, and instead of saying I crushed him, I could I have said I did a good job.’ 

Reddington then said that he was open to reaching a deal with Cruz, the District Attorney, so that Clancy did not need to go through another trial.

‘I’m willing to listen to Tim [Cruz]. I’ve known Tim for 30 years. I hope, however, after this trial, that he would revisit that issue and we could work something out that will be acceptable for both sides,’ he added.

Reddington said that he didn’t know much about postpartum depression before taking on Clancy’s trial. 

Clancy faces a retrial after the jury of nine women and three men were unable to agree on whether she was guilty of the murders or manslaughter of Cora, five, Dawson, three and eight-month-old Callan in January 2023. 

Reddington and Clancy are seen here as Judge William Sullivan declared the case a mistrial 

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Clancy was charged with murder after strangling her three children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan in 2023

Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial at Plymouth Superior Court on Friday afternoon. 

Clancy admitted to strangling her children with exercise bands but denies it was murder.

The former nurse said she was overmedicated while suffering from postpartum depression and that the cocktail of drugs she was prescribed brought on psychosis.

She tried to kill herself by jumping out the upstairs window of the home she shared with ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, in the wake of the killings.

The suicide attempt failed but left Clancy paralyzed and permanently confined to a wheelchair.

Jurors spent more than 37 hours deliberating five-and-a-half weeks of evidence, with one refusing to side with the others late Thursday and early Friday.

Reddington sought an emergency order to try and force jurors to enter one final round of deliberations but it failed.

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The former Celtic winger has joined forces with the owner of the Pattaya bar, which has welcomed a host of famous faces including Henrik Larsson and Tyson Fury.

The owner of a Celtic bar in Thailand has revealed Hoops legend Didier Agathe has become a co-owner after buying a 50 per cent stake in the popular boozer.

Eddie Murphy, 50, who opened The Irish House in Pattaya around a year ago, said it was a “godsend” when the former Celtic star got in touch after visiting the bar and decided he wanted to buy into the business. Agathe was a key member of Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side that reached the UEFA Cup final in 2003, where they were beaten by Jose Mourinho’s Porto in Seville. The former winger is now based in Thailand and plans to run a football academy from the building.

The new partnership was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the bar over the weekend, alongside fellow business partner Mark McKeown. Eddie, originally from Easterhouse, told Glasgow Live: “I’d had the bar for around a year, before he wanted to buy into the bar and improve it.

“We’ve had Tyson Fury and Henrik Larsson in it, and when Didier Agathe came in, he loved it and he wanted to buy it. When he came, he phoned (Lubomir) Moravcik and said, ‘You need to see this bar, it’s unbelievable’.

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“There’s a lot of community things going on here, which I think he noticed. It’s geared towards that – all the foundation stuff of what Celtic does. It’s been a bit of a Godsend.”

Eddie says the bar is the only Celtic-themed pub of its kind in Thailand and attracts tourists looking for a taste of home, including traditional pub food and a pint of Guinness. He was inspired to open the venue after remembering Celtic bars around Parkhead while growing up in Glasgow’s east end.

He added: “This was meant to be a hobby, but it’s turned into a full-time job. It’s something I grew up with. I’m a boy from the east end, and I miss going to the matches. Them coming in is for the benefit of the bar.”

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The former Liverpool player’s inclusion in midfield was largely circumstantial, with suspensions for Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva leaving Mourinho short on options.

Alexander-Arnold lined up alongside Federico Valverde but had a mixed evening, creating two chances and attempting more crosses than any other Real player – but failing to win a tackle. His passing accuracy was also down at 83.3%.

He was substituted shortly after Inter pulled one back on 77 minutes, prompting whistles around the stadium – although this could well have been frustration Madrid supporters felt at their team’s performance rather than at Alexander-Arnold individually.

It was the first competitive match in which Alexander-Arnold and fellow right-back Denzel Dumfries had started together. He started both for a pre-season friendly against Fiorentina, with Alexander-Arnold operating at right-back while Dumfries played further forward on the same side.

It is clear Mourinho still doesn’t have a definite starting right-back, so in the same way Alexander-Arnold had to fight to start with Dani Carvajal last season, he is doing the same this season with Dumfries.

But BBC Sport understands the Portuguese has been impressed by the England international’s performances, values and the versatility he brings to the squad.

Indeed, Mourinho views Alexander-Arnold as different from many traditional full-backs because of his ability to move into central areas and contribute to attacks from midfield positions.

His passing, crossing, through balls and set-piece delivery remain among the strongest parts of his game.

Olivia Attwood and Pete Wicks made sure to give the fans what they wanted as they shared a passionate smooch at the NTAs on Tuesday night. 

After officially hard launching the relationship on her Instagram last month, it appeared the couple can’t get enough of each other as they locked lips during their red carpet debut. 

Pete, who is hosting the red carpet alongside his pal Sam Thompson, appeared to bump into his glamorous girlfriend on the red carpet. 

And after she greeted Sam with a hug, she went the extra mile for the TOWIE star as they shared a kiss in front of the cameras. 

As the romantic moment played out, Sam was left awkwardly third wheeling as he cheered and laughed in the background. 

Sharing the clip on the official NTA Instagram, they penned: ‘Red carpet chemistry! @olivia_attwood and @p_wicks01 share a kiss on the #NTA2026 red carpet.’

And after she greeted Sam with a hug, she went the extra mile for the TOWIE star as they shared a kiss in front of the cameras

As the romantic moment played out, Sam Thompson was left awkwardly third wheeling as he cheered and laughed in the background

However even Olivia was left cringing at the moment as she commented: ‘Guys why was this so awkward.’ 

Fans were delighted to see the couple so loved up as they took to the comments writing: ‘I’m so happy for you both honestly the most loviest people on the planet you deserve all the happiness in the world’; 

‘i love them both magic couple’; ‘Love this for you guys. Love this relationship!’; ‘LOVEEEEEE’. 

Hits Radio added: ‘sam’s the happiest third wheel we’ve ever seen.’

Later in the evening the pair reunited on stage as they joined forces to announce the award for best Daytime show. 

Met with a furor of cheers as they entered the stage, host Joel Dommett joked their romance was the ‘relationship that everyone saw coming.’ 

Earlier this week the pair put on a very affectionate display in new sizzling pictures after they enjoyed a date together.

Olivia sent fans wild as she shared another series of photographs on Instagram on Sunday night – just days after admitting she was trying to get better at ‘not oversharing’.

The reality stars packed on the PDA, with Olivia seductively leaning over Pete’s knees in one snap, while in another he wrapped his arms around her.

She captioned the post: ‘Went on a date with Pete Wicks from Towie can’t believe it he’s so hot in real life too xxxx.’

The couple first met in 2017 and became firm friends, but things turned romantic this year following the breakdown of Olivia’s marriage to Bradley Dack.

After months of fan speculation and candid moments caught on camera, Olivia finally confirmed the romance with a series of loved-up Instagram snaps, joking in the caption that fans ‘bullied me into hard launching’.

Now Olivia has confessed she genuinely has been struggling with how much to share about their romance, exclusively telling the Daily Mail: ‘We’re in the infancy of navigating it. So I guess we’re kind of working as it goes.

After finally hard launching their romance, Olivia and Pete gave a glimpse of their romance by sharing a smooch on the red carpet

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Later in the evening the pair reunited on stage as they joined forces to announce the award for best Daytime show

The couple first met in 2017 and became firm friends, but things turned romantic this year following the breakdown of Olivia’s marriage to Bradley Dack

They looked lovingly into each other’s eyes in a backstage snap 

It was This Morning who bagged this year’s daytime show award, and Olivia looked overjoyed despite working on the show of fellow nominee Loose Women 

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Last month Olivia made things Instagram official, sharing a series of loved-up photos of them kissing on a beach in Ibiza earlier this summer

 ‘I understand the interest. For a lot of people it’s a crossover of two people that they’ve followed in different ways for a long time. So I understand and I have a very open dialogue with my audience.

‘Now that people know we’re together we’re working out not shutting people out who have been so lovely and happy for us and excited to watch our relationship grow, but also making sure that we keep enough back like that’s just for us.’

Olivia, known for her straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude, added she’s trying to work on scaling back what she shares with fans, to ensure she keeps some semblance of privacy.

The TV presenter mused: ‘I never feel like I’ve said something I shouldn’t. It’s always the opposite.

‘I come from a reality background and I’ve had cameras in my home and I think that when I don’t share everything, I get a guilt complex!

‘I am reminded by people around me I don’t have to explain everything, but I guess I’m still trying to tell myself that.

‘I sometimes put too much pressure on myself to share more than I need to, which is weird because I think everyone else in this industry is the opposite.’

Doctors say the condition could be caused by resting electronic devices, such as laptops, on bare skin

A condition caused by resting electronic devices on bare skin is on the rise in children, doctors have warned parents.

The warning comes after a pre-teen boy was diagnosed with erythema ab igne (EAI) – known also as toasted skin syndrome – after resting his laptop on his stomach for up to eight hours a day. The condition creates a net-like rash after long-term exposure to low level heat.

EAI is most commonly found in adults who use water bottles or heated pads, however doctors warn it is now becoming increasingly common among youngsters who use electronic devices. Medics say early recognition of paediatric cases can help children avoid unnecessary tests and prevent misdiagnoses.

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Writing in BMJ Case Reports, Dr Mara Znagoveanu, of University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said the boy went to the children’s emergency department with “spontaneous bruising”. Neither he or his parents could pinpoint what had caused the rash

He was determined to be well, with with no trauma or symptoms such as fever or weight loss, and blood tests and scans came back normal. The youngster was discharged, however two weeks later he returned to hospital as the rash had worsened, becoming tender with areas of skin peeling.

While medics asked about common heat sources, further questioning revealed the boy was being home-schooled and used a laptop for learning. He reported resting the device on his stomach for up to eight hours a day, usually while it was charging, and was later diagnosed with EAI.

Dr Znagoveanu said: “As more commonly reported in adults, EAI may be overlooked in children, especially when the source of heat is less obvious than the traditional sources such as hot water bottles and heating pads.

“The increasing use of electronic devices, particularly during home schooling, has emerged as an under-recognised cause of EAI in paediatric populations.”

She added that EAI might be misdiagnosed in children, leading to “unnecessary investigations” such as blood tests or scans.

The condition is usually reversible and the rash normally improves over weeks to months once the heat source is removed. However, in some cases it can lead to persistent hyper-pigmentation.

A number of months later, during a phone consultation, the boy’s father told doctors that the rash had eventually disappeared.

Dr Znagoveanu said: “There are currently no formal paediatric guidelines for EAI, and diagnosis remains clinical, based on history and characteristic findings. A limitation of this case is the lack of in- person follow- up, with resolution confirmed by the patient’s family via telephone call.

“This case highlights the importance of considering EAI in children presenting with reticulated rashes, particularly in the context of increasing electronic device use. Early recognition through targeted history-taking can prevent misdiagnosis and avoid unnecessary investigations.”

The Gunners endured a frustrating summer due to missing out on many of their top targets, but are being tipped to go back in for at least two in January: Julian Alvarez and Eli Junior Kroupi. Chelsea did land one of those targets, in Morgan Rogers, but failed to sign a replacement for Enzo Fernandez, after Monaco pulled the plug an agreement to sell Lamine Camara. Chelsea could now turn to Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios, who is valued at around €100 million.